Itachi stood to the side, watching Hatake Satoru fall into deep thought with a gloomy expression. He immediately realized that he had said something inappropriate.
No matter how carefree Satoru usually seemed, this was about his father’s death.
He had been too blunt.
From what they had heard, after White Fang’s death, Hatake Satoru had fallen seriously ill.
During that time, Kakashi was always alone.
Afterward, due to their different physical abilities, the two brothers took completely separate paths, developing distinct personalities.
Compared to the Uchiha clan, Hatake Satoru and Kakashi were just two orphans who had lost both parents.
Even between the two of them, there was a sense of distance.
Though they lived under the same roof, there was always an invisible gap between them.
"I understand. It wasn’t your fault, Satoru."
Itachi was usually thoughtful and more mature than others his age.
But at the end of the day, he was someone with parents and a loving family. He couldn’t truly understand what the two brothers had gone through.
All he could do was offer a few clumsy words of comfort.
"Oh? I never thought it was my fault anyway."
Hatake Satoru suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, lifting his face with a familiar grin.
His eyes were still covered by a blindfold, making it impossible to read his true emotions.
With his hands stuffed into his pockets, he leaned slightly toward Itachi’s ear and whispered:
"But after doing so much for Konohagakure in the shadows, you should have a good idea of what really lies beneath the surface."
"When it’s time to take sides, think carefully about where you want to stand."
The meaning behind his words couldn’t have been clearer. Itachi, who had taken a step back, suddenly froze.
He wasn’t naïve. Right now, just planting this seed in Itachi’s heart was enough.
Whatever path he chose was up to him.
Someone who loved sweet things so much shouldn’t have to spend his whole life swallowed by bitterness.
Hatake Satoru straightened up and vanished from Itachi’s side in an instant.
A faint sweetness still lingered in the air, and the wind from his movement brushed against Itachi’s cheek.
Lost in thought, Itachi turned to look in the direction Satoru had disappeared.
The sun had completely set, leaving only a faint afterglow on the ground.
To be honest, Hatake Satoru didn’t have a good impression of either of these special units.
After all, Hiruzen and Danzo were just playing good cop, bad cop.
Nobody had the right to judge anyone else.
At least Anbu handled some external matters. When it came to dealing with their own people, they showed no mercy.
But no matter how extreme Danzo’s orders were, most of the time, Hiruzen just turned a blind eye.
To put it bluntly, at least 80% of what Danzo did had Hiruzen’s silent approval.
But the higher-ups had too many factions, too much corruption, and too many people who were either useless or getting in the way.
Especially those elders in the administrative department—other than influencing decisions and sitting around talking, they were basically useless!
And the most frustrating part? The more incompetent they were, the more power they held.
Hatake Satoru clearly understood that killing off the upper ranks wouldn’t change anything.
They would just be replaced, over and over again.
If the foundation didn’t change, they would forever be stuck in a cycle of chaos and infighting, repeating the same regrets.
So, the solution was to start with educating the younger generation.
Hatake Satoru had to train these people step by step.
The future would always belong to the young.
They would grow, becoming strong and reliable allies.
They would stand at the top, looking down at the entire world with clarity.
As Hatake Satoru’s thoughts raced, a mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
[Congratulations! Restoration level has increased to 22%]
[Short-distance teleportation upgraded to mid-to-long-distance movement]
[Six Eyes sensing range increased]
[Template restoration level exceeds 20%. Unlocking hint: When restoration reaches over 90%, the host will unlock a new character template]
Oh? So this goal was actually similar to why Satoru Gojo became a teacher in Jujutsu Kaisen.
It turns out that setting his objective could also boost the restoration level.
Hatake Satoru studied the semi-transparent template with great interest as his movement range expanded.
More than the improved abilities, his attention was drawn to that last little hint.
A new template?! That sounded like an interesting reward.
Maybe he’d get the chance to switch to an even more exciting character.
Not bad. He’d train stronger allies while looking forward to unlocking the next character template!
Closing the system panel in his mind, Hatake Satoru landed steadily at his doorstep.
Even though no one was there to respond, Hatake Satoru said it out of habit.
The Hatake house was on the outskirts of Konohagakure, near the village’s edge—almost like the countryside.
The house was big but empty, with most rooms left unused.
From cooking to resting, Satoru and Kakashi did almost everything in the largest room.
The sound of sizzling filled the air, and a delicious aroma drifted from the kitchen.
Kakashi, dressed in white pajamas, was standing in the kitchen, frying fish.
His expression was serious, and his gaze was so intense it looked like he was using the Sharingan to cook.
A dead silence stretched between them, the awkwardness almost tangible in the air.
Satoru sat at the table, glancing at the other side with a strange look.
On the opposite side, against the wall, Kakashi’s clothes were neatly folded.
"Well, this is rare. You actually came home for the night."
"You don’t have a mission tomorrow?"